Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a modular control apparatus for use in automated buildings, including a plurality of separate terminal blocks assembled to define a rigid assembly to which is removably connected an electronics module that carries a plurality of control circuits.
Brief Description of the Prior Art
It has been proposed in the prior art to provide electronic control systems for controlling the various electromechanical components used in the heating and cooling, electrical, plumbing and pneumatic systems of an automated building. Until now, electrotechnical installation was such that each individual sensor/reactor/field unit had to be connected directly via a separate signal line to input/output cards of a control unit installed in a central switch cabinet. Subdivisions in the form of terminal or switch boxes were installed to some extent in different places inside the building. The purpose of these terminal boxes was to combine the many sensors/reactors/field units that are distributed throughout the building for the transport of signals into the central switch cabinet. From each terminal box, the cables extend via plug connectors to the central switch cabinet of the control system. Here, again, the individual lines are distributed over the pertinent input/output printed circuit of boards the control system, so that each cable carrying a signal must be conducted in general over a plurality of connecting points. This type of wiring requires an appreciable amount of material and labor, and requires a great effort in terms of planning and documentation and is correspondingly vulnerable to error.
It has also been proposed to provide control systems that are arranged in a decentralized manner in the area of the subdivisions of a building and that provide for a conversion of the incoming signals of the individual sensors/reactors/field units to a complete field bus system for the building. For this purpose, as a rule, one needs a spatially less compactly constructed adaptation electronics that are extensively predetermined by the volume of functions as well as the necessary structural members, thereby requiring a predetermined number of input/output connection elements which are converted to a field bus system via the series-connected electronics. Customarily, subassemblies of identical signal interfaces are offered as connecting blocks in a building that present 8, 16, or even 32 identical connection possibilities. A minimum number of such subassemblies must be installed--and must therefore also be paid for by the user--above all in case of mixed connection possibilities for the existing sensors or connection possibilities that are needed only in small or widely differing numbers.
In the German patent No. DE4303717A1, a modular control system is disclosed that includes a plurality of pluggable electronics modules and connection modules. Here, the connection modules have supply line connections and signal line connections and are formed from individual terminal blocks. In this case, connector blocks associated, on the one hand, with the supply block and, on the other hand, with the input/output block, are also made in one piece and can be inserted individually in a common housing. Also, the supply terminals and/or the input and output terminals are arranged in different connection levels. Furthermore, an electronics module is separably connected with the terminal block, and can be electrically and mechanically connected by means of contacts between the electronics block and the terminal block.
One problem presented by this modular control system is that a spatial separation is made, on the one hand, between the supply block and, on the other hand, between the input/output block. In this solution, it is furthermore required to provide the supply terminals with insertion bridges that must be fixedly installed at the plant or that the user must retrofit at rather considerable expense in order to distribute the electrical potential--belonging to a block or a part of a block--between the individual units of the supply block or the connector block. Moreover, it is not easy to operate sensors/reactors/field units with identical signal form but differing electrical supply values on a common connector block because only supply voltages that are supplied at fixed points and that are distributed laterally can be tapped off the pertinent parts of the connector block. By embedding the individual connection units in a housing surrounding the entire block, one can provide maintenance only after the removal of the entire block which involves the rather laborious breakdown of the connector block into its various parts. One must furthermore provide shunting plates inside the housing of the connection block in order to attain a differentiated logic of the input/output block. This again calls for intervention in the electronics arranged in the housing.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a terminal block assembly for use in the power supply and control system of an automated building, including an assembly of power supply, control signal, ground and end support terminal blocks arranged in side-by-side relation, and distributor bar means removably supported by, and extending transversely of, the terminal block assembly for transmitting electrical power between the terminal blocks.
According to another object of the invention, the terminal block assembly includes mounting feet means for removably mounting one side of the assembly upon a grounded support rail to which the ground terminal block is electrically connected, and plug-in means for removably connecting to the opposite side of the assembly an electronics module containing printed circuit board signal-handling control means. Thus, condition-responsive signals from remotely arranged sensors in the building are supplied to signal processing means on the printed circuit boards via terminals carried by the signal terminal blocks, and control signals from the printed circuit boards are transmitted by these terminals to various activators and reactors located at given locations in the automated building. Owing to the provision of the terminal block assembly, the user can customize the automation of a building and can install the assembly in existing buildings, the electronics control module being arranged at an accessible location for replacement, modification and/or repair. Owing to the side-by-side relationship of the terminal blocks, a compact assembly is provided that is suitable for installation under tight space conditions. Owing to the provision of the removably mounted distributor bar means, the necessity of bulky wires or cable harnesses between the terminal blocks is avoided.